Over-water craft



May 10, 1927,

. v 1,627,876 J. B. WILLIAMS OVER WATER CRAFT Fil A g. 24 1924ShoetS-Sheet 1 May 10,1927. v

J. B. WILLIAMS OVER WATER CRAFT Filed Aug. 24 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet May10, 1927. 1,627,876

J. B. WILLIAMS OVER WATER CRAFT Filed Aug. 24 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 4 I1,627,876- 1 J. B. WILLIAMS OVER WATER CRAFT Filed Aug. 24 1922 4Sheets-Sheet 4 Li e/2221 Mfr Patented May 10, 1927. I

NI TETD fS TrEfS JAMES (B. WILLIAMS, OF'TAMPA, FLORIDA.

OVER-WATER CRAFT.

Application filed August '24, 1922. +Seria1 No. 584,008.

The invention relates to water-borne craft of the catamaran ty-pearranged to bepropelled by the occupant.

It is-a-n object of theinvention to. provide a craft 'of' that' typehaving its floats so arranged that they readilyuand easily may becollapsed and its other; parts so'formed that they may be disassembledfor compact pack ingfor transportation and storageand reassembled toconstitute a comp-lete craft ready for use.

'Whenconsidered in connection with the descriptionherein, thecharacteristics of the invention-are apparent from the accompanyingdrawings, forming; part hereof, wherein an embodiment-of the inventionis disclosed, for purposes of illustration.

Although the disclosures herein exemplify what .now is considered togbea preferable embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that itis not the. intention to be limitedmnecessarily thereto ininterpretation of the claims, as modifications sand :adaptations withinthe limits of the claims can be made withoutdeparting from the nature ofthe invention.

Likereferencemharacters refer'to corresponding parts inthe viewsiof thedrawings, of which- 7 'Eig-lis aplan view;

Fig. '2'is a side elevation;

:Fig. 3 is "a; plan "view ofzthe seatssupporting=frame; I

' -.Fig. .4 is aifragmentary: end elevation Figs-5' is :a detail view ofone of the separable connections; 7

" Fig. 6-is'a view of. the-.pad'dle-wheel shaft and ass'ociated partsFig. is a bottom viewofthe seat structure;

Fig. 8 is 'a view ofthe.paddle wheel hub;

Fig. :9 is a view .of the seat-supporting post;

Fig. 10 isiaview of the seat-brace;

Fig. 11 is'a View offrame-connect-ing: elements;

Fig. 12:.is' a side elevation of -a.--paddle wheel shaft journal-box and:frame-member connection;

Figrl3 are. detail-views of a paddle-wheel hub member "and armsassociated therewith; and

Fig. 14 are detail ing members.

Two oppositely-disposed floats of the viewsiof frame-connectcraftaremaintained in substantially parthe -members 1.

allel relation. They are formed of cylindri cal'unembers l,havingconical ends, made of any suitable watertight andcollapsiblefabric secured by rivets on the like 4t0 internal ribs 2.They have rings or eyelets 20,-at their ends, to each of which isconneoteola threaded shank 21, having thereon a thumbnut 22. The shanksextend through the outer end;portions.=of members 5 extending forwardly.and rearwardly-from saddles, and

by turning the thumb-nuts the members :1

are drawn to and maintained in :extended condition. Each .of the floatshas an' airvalve-49 to permit inflation and defiation of Annular ribs 10:extend around the end portions ofthe membersl at the end internal ribs2.

Saddles, of which -the members 5 are parts, rest onthe rings 10, whichhavelugs hasfa'st thereon=a sleeve 67 (asseen .in Fig.

11). The front-sleeve has fixed thereon near its ends-flat top collars67 carrying upstanding lugs A, with turn-buttons B, 1 and the rearsleevehas thereon si ilar collars 67 with upstanding and depen ing lugs.

Longitudinahtubular frame members 14' are connected withthe'transversemembers 14 by having slotted ends of members'TO thereof resting on thefiatitop collars'567 and 67 enga'ged'with the upstanding lugs A and heldthereon by turn-buttons B. The terminal members 70 extend into and areconnected permanently with the tubular members." 14".

'Each of the membersl i isof twosparts,

which are connected'detachably by a sleeye 15. "This-sleeve carriesjournal-box palts 56 and 57 containing a collar 64 in which apaddle-wheel shaft 16 is mounted'torotate. Each end of the shaft 16 isreduced and squared and extends into a slot in *acrank-- arm 54. The armis held on the shaft by a frame includes an intermediate cross-stripspring 59 in the end portion of the arm held in place by pins 51 and 53in an opening in the end portion of the shaft. Each cranxarm has a pedal55 on its outer end.

The paddle-wheel of the craft includes a hub 17 on shaft 16, whichcarries radiallyextending arms 18 having blades 19 thereon. The hubcomprises part a permanently fixed to the shaft 16 and having anexteriorlythreaded boss 0 extending through the other hub part Z), the.two parts being held together by a nut 66 on the boss. The hub partshold the arms 18 between them, and each of the arms has a spring catch69 at its inner end, which engages into a slot in the hub when the armis inserted and prevents its displacement. The paddlewheel parts may bedisassembled by loosening the nut 66 and withdrawing the arms 18.

Each transverse tubular member 14 has extending into and permanentlyconnected to it a terminal member 9, by which it is connected detachablywith a saddle on the ring 10. Each of the members 9 has a seat intowhich a lug 48 of the saddle extends, where by horizontal displacementof the parts is prevented. Each saddle also has an upwardly-extendingprojection F having a seat arranged to receive the end portion of aterminal member 12, which is inserted into the seat by tilting to theposition shown by dotted lines in Fig. 5 and then swung downwardlyagainst the top of terminal member 9, onwhich it then rests. A shoulder0 of the member 12 engages a side of member 9. These parts constitute aninterlocking corner connection for the frame of the craft, which can bereleased for disassembly by swinging the members 12 upwardly andWithdrawing them from the part F, when the terminal members 9 may belifted off from the saddle.

The members 12 are the lower terminal portions of corner brace members13 supporting the upper and seatcarrying frame of the craft. The upperends of the brace members fit into unions 28 of an upper frame 47, in,,which they are held by catches 50.

The longitudinal members of the upper frame have slidable thereon aseat-carrying member that includes a central spit sleeve 32 controlledby athumb-clamp 52. The seatcarrying member is held in place by setscrews 60, and it may be adjusted longitudinally of the frame or removedtherefrom after loosening the set-screws.

A seat-supporting post 29 is held and is adjustable vertically in thesleeve 32. A cross member 71 extends through a split sleeve in the upperend of the post, in which it is held by a screw-clamp 65. The crossmember has near its ends upstanding bearings or pins 35, by which thereis connected to it a rear member 36 of a seat-frame. This 37 and wires38 connected to the parts 36 and 37 and to a front cross member 39. Themember 39 extends through the front end of a brace 31, whereby the frontportion of the seat frame is supported. The other and lower end of thebrace is connected to the post 29 by a split sleeve 30, which may beraised and lowered on the post to alter the tilt of the saddle.

A frame 40, including a longitudinal arm having a hook terminaldetachably engaging the front cross member of the frame 47 and atransverse arm held by set screws 41 on the longitudinal members of thetop frame, carries a lever 44 swingable on the pivot 11 and arranged tocooperate through part 46 with a rack, whereby the lever may be held inadjusted position. Cables or the like 2? are attached to the lever aboveand below its pivot, they run on sheaves 33, and one of them isconnected to each end portion of an arm 24 attached to the top of a post23 carrying a rudder-blade 58. The rudderpost is stepped in a topbearing 25 connected to the rear cross member 14 under the terminals ofthe longitudinal members 14' by the upper lugs of parts 67 and in abrace and bearing 26 supported by the lower lugs of parts 67*, therudder-blade being secured to the post by a fastener 43. The structuralparts of the craft can be disassembled'into comparatively small elementsfor packing into compact form for storage and transportation. The floatscan be removed from the saddles by removing rings 10 and disconnectionfrom the eyes 20. The longitudinal members may be disconnected from thetransverse members, and with them come the paddle-wheel, which may bedisassembled as hereinbefore explained. The two parts of thelongitudinal members may be withdrawn from the sleeves 15. The top framemay be disconnected by withdrawing unions 28 from the braces 13 afterrelease of the fasteners 50, and then the lower terminals 12 may beremoved from the saddles and the terminals 9 then lifted off. Theseatcarrying member that includes the split collar 32 may be removedfrom the longitudinal membersof the upper frame after loosening of thescrews 60, and the parts of the saddle may be disassembled by looseningits several screws and split collars or sleeves. The frame carrying therudder-lever 44 may be disconnected from the upper frame, and the ruddermay be removed from the lower frame.

The seat-frame ordinarily will carry a cushion or the like (not shown),its position with relation to the pedals 55 may be adjusted bylongitudinal movement on the upper frame, and its tilt may be adjustedby movement upwardly or downwardly on the seat-post of the rear end ofthe seat-brace.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. A water craft comprising two floats detachably connected insubstantially parallel relation by front and rear transverse members,longitudinal members detachably connected to and supported by saidtransverse members, a paddle-wheel detachably mounted on saidlongitudinal members, upwardlyextending braces having lower terminalsbearing on and holding said transverse mem bers in association withsaidfloats, an upper frame supported by said braces, and a seat on saidupper frame.

2. A water craft comprising two floats having saddles on their endportions, an upstanding lug and a member having a seat on each of saidsaddles, transverse members connecting said floats having seats in theirend portions engaging with said lugs, upwardly-extending braces havinglower terminals engaged in the seats of said saddle members and bearingon the end portions of said transverse members, and a seat-carryingframe supported by said braces;

A water craft comprising two floats detachably connected insubstantially parallel relation by front and rear transverse members,two-part longitudinal members detachably connected to and supported bysaid transverse members, a sleeve connecting the two parts of each ofsaid longitudinal memcollapsible fabric casin a shaft rotatable in saidjournal-boxes, and a paddle-wheel detachably mounted on said shaft.

4. In a water craft including a frame, a float formed of a collapsiblefabric casing, and screw-threaded members in said frame connected withends of said casing and ar-' ranged to draw the latter to and maintainit in extended condition.

5. In a water craft, a frame comprising alined ribs and membersextending oppositely beyond said ribs, a float formed of a collapsiblefabric casing disposed in said ribs and comprising internal ribsnear-itsv ends. positioned substantially at said frame-ribs when saidcasing is extended, and means associated with said frame members wherebysaid float is drawn to and maintained in extended condition.

6. In a water craft, a float comprising a collapsible fabric casing, aframe resting on said float and having members extending beyond theends'thereof, and means on said members whereby said float is drawn toand maintained in extended condition.

7 In a water craft, a float comprising a having internal distention-ribsnear its ends, a frame resting on said float and having membersextending beyond the ribs thereof, and means on said members wherebysaid float is drawn to and maintained in extended condition.

In witness whereof I aflix my signature.

JAMES B. WILLIAMS.

